Art 102 Fall 2013 Rembrandt Lecture
Rembrandt
• Left a record of his life in self-portraits• Is a Protestant—his paintings show a
Protestant sensibility in that they are never theatrical
• His art provides penetrating examinations of the human soul
Rembrandt Self-Portrait 1629
Rembrandt Self-Portrait 1629
Expressive shadowing around the eyes
Paint is applied thickly, so that Rembrandt is clearly interested in theMateriality of paint
Rembrandt Jan six 1654
Rembrandt Reconciliation of David and Absalom 1642
Rembrandt Homer Dictating To a Clerk 1663
Rembrandt Homer Dictating To a Clerk 1663
Interested in depicting figures who lack sight
Rembrandt Old Woman 1631
Rembrandt Old Woman 1631
Frequently paints images of books And reading
But this book is not legible, showingRembrandt’s iconoclastic tendencies
Gerrit Dou Rembrandt's Mother 1630's
Gerrit Dou Rembrandt's Mother 1630's
Here the text is recognizable as the Gospel of Luke
Rembrandt Portrait of Saskia 1634
Rembrandt Portrait of Saskia 1634
Rembrandt paints two kinds of Portraits, either sitters in contemporaryCostumes, sometimes as historical,Mythological, or religious figures
Noted for the intimacy of his portraits
Rembrandt A Turk 1630-35
Rembrandt A Turk 1630-35
One of a number of paintings of people inExotic costumes
Reflects a widespread interest in Easternculture
Rembrandt Self-Portrait 1650
Rembrandt. Self-Portrait 1638
Represents himself in 16th century dress
Rembrandt Self-Portrait 1659
Rembrandt Self-Portrait 1659
Figure is composed of roughbrushstrokes
Rembrandt Self-Portrait 1658
Rembrandt. Self-portrait in Painter’s Costume 1660-2
Rembrandt. Self-portrait in Painter’s Costume 1660-2
Presented as a working artist,Holding tools of his trade
Circles may represent artistic skill
Rembrandt A Girl with a Broom 1651
Rembrandt A Girl with a Broom 1651
Portraiture combined with genre painting
Rembrandt An Old Man Sleeping 1629
Rembrandt An Old Man Sleeping 1629
Frequently painted old age, because It shows human qualities
Interested in beauty hidden in Ugliness and virtue shown in the body
Fascinated with good and evil qualitiesIn human beings
Shows inner beauty rather than classicalBeauty
Uses chiaroscuro and shadows, but not Rigid distinction between light and darkAs in Caravaggio
Rembrandt The Rape of Proserpina 1633
Refused to copy the Italian Tradition
Exoticism present even in Classical subject matter
Rembrandt and His Wife Saskia 1634
Double portrait, shows sitters inJoyousness that will later disappear
Shows Rembrandt’s interest in Costumes
Saskia is Rembrandt’s favorite model
Rembrandt The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp 1632
Rembrandt The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp 1632
Group portrait commissioned by the Guild of SurgeonsGroup portraits were popular at this timeComposition is activated by using strong diagonals and light
Rembrandt Night Watch 1642
Painting is misnamed due to the darkening of varnish over time—is not intended to be a Night sceneFigures are grouped dynamically, giving a sense that something is about to happen
Rembrandt Return of the Prodigal Son 1665
Rembrandt Return of the Prodigal Son 1665
Religious imagery is generally Frowned upon in Protestantism, butRembrandt makes a few religious Paintings.
Unlike opulent Italian Baroque images,More interested in showing a range ofHuman emotions, revealing Rembrant’sTendency to represent the human soul
Rembrandt Christ with the Sick Around Him c. 1649
One of Rembrandt’s many etchingsKnown as the Hundred-Guilder Print